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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28233129">of snakes &amp; lions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yangcore/pseuds/yangcore'>yangcore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Rivalry, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan is Whipped, M/M, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:35:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28233129</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yangcore/pseuds/yangcore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>huang renjun doesn’t hate people but he hates na jaemin. he hates his guts and his stupid perfect face. he would do anything to stay as far away from him as possible. renjun hates na jaemin, but he also <em>really</em> can't turn down a bet, especially when it might get donghyuck to stop getting into fights on the quidditch field after every game.</p><p>huang renjun hates na jaemin. or at least... he thinks he does.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>of snakes &amp; lions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! Welcome to my second NCT HP fic! I hope to update this one regularly but we'll really see..... I quite enjoy this chapter so I hope I'm able to produce satisfactory work for the rest of it :))</p><p>Honestly the timeline is really wonky and the details are really kind of muddled... Voldemort is mentioned, but the Golden Trio aren't really a part of this universe? And some original characters are in it (McGonagall, Hooch, etc) but I replaced a few professors with other members of NCT? it's all over the place but it didn't feel right putting anyone else as the head of the Gryffindor house :) So just a heads up! Hopefully it's not too confusing to follow!!</p><p>I'll link my socials at the end but I hope you enjoy !</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The crowd roars, a tumultuous din that could surely be heard for miles around. Two boys on pristine broomsticks—one on a sleek Nimbus 2000 and the other on a well worn Firebolt— circle the field tensely, the air between them crackling with anticipation. Neither has ever felt so much pressure to win, and it’s evident in the way they rake their eyes over the field and restlessly twitch their fingers at any slight movement from the corner of their eyes.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0"><em>“Watching ... waiting like predators… who will win? And who will be left hungry?”</em> </p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The other players watch with unease as they continue to play. It had been thirteen years since either house had even been close to winning the House Cup and neither team was ready to give it up. In a moment of distraction, Yeri, one of the Slytherin Chasers, fumbles the Quaffle and misses her shot by a few feet, instead sending it ricocheting towards the Ravenclaw student section. She throws her hands in the air as she curses loudly, just barely managing to dodge a well-aimed Bludger from one of the Gryffindor Beaters.</p><p class="zw-paragraph">Suddenly there’s a streak of gold, and instantly the two Seekers spring into action. Barely a glance in each other’s direction and they’re neck and neck, streaking after the Snitch in a blur of color, so quickly the wind whistles in their ears.</p><p class="zw-paragraph">
  <em>“But wait! The Seekers seem to have seen the Snitch! Who will reach it first? Will it be courageous Gryffindor or cunning Slytherin? It's too close to call!”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The crowd bellows at the top of their lungs, stomping wildly in the stands, and watches with breathless wonder as the two players race around the stadium in the wake of the tiny gold sphere. Even the other players falter in their competition to watch the two Seekers with bated breath.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Sixth-year Lee Donghyuck, the Slytherin Seeker, flicks his eyes to his right to see a flash of maroon and gold robes gaining on him. The two players shoot towards the ground at breakneck speed, and Donghyuck’s heart rate spikes dangerously as the ground races to meet them. He looks back at the golden sphere whizzing tantalizingly in front of his face. <em>Just a bit more.</em> His pulse beats relentlessly inside his skull. Time slows to a halt. He spares an agonizing glance back at his opponent. The Gryffindor Seeker reaches his hand out. The Snitch is mere centimeters away from the tips of his fingers. <em>Just a bit more-</em></p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">In a moment of impatience (and desperation), Donghyuck throws an elbow out, making contact with the soft part of the other Seeker’s stomach. The Gryffindor grunts heavily and is pushed sideways off of his Firebolt, plummeting to the ground fifty feet below. The Slytherin hardly blinks in fact, he hardly even flinches at his act of foul play- and suddenly, the Snitch is enclosed within his fist, and he’s thrown violently out of his reverie by the sound of the crowd jeering fantastically. Donghyuck whips around on his broomstick to share his excitement with his teammates. They’re bellowing and hollering loudly from their positions by hoops and some have even made it to the ground already.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Wong Kunhang, the seventh-year Keeper, grabs a random girl from the first row and kisses her full on the mouth, grinning widely as he releases her. (She faints on the spot amid her screaming friends.) On the field, Sunwoo, a fifth-year Beater, sobs openly as he collapses onto his knees by Son Hyejoo, the other Beater, who looks more peeved than anything else. Yeri and Dejun jump up and down, whooping and hollering Donghyuck’s name with elation. The third Chaser, Renjun, instead, looks mildly annoyed as he rolls his eyes, despite the smile he clearly fought to keep off his face.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“In an unexpected- and possibly illegal- turn of events, for the first time in twenty years, Slytherin wins the Quidditch Cup!”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Landing smoothly on the ground, Donghyuck sprints over to his teammates and lets himself be shoved around by post-match adrenaline. Students pour out of the stands and chant his name, as what feels like every hand- he loses track after a couple of seconds- reaches towards him to slap his back and shoulders and yell their congratulations. The celebration is short-lived, however, when he feels a strong hand pull him through the large clump of people, and-</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>CRACK.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">A hard fist connects with the left side of his jaw.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Spots fly in and out of Donghyuck's vision as he stumbles with the impact of the punch. The sounds of the crowd are drowned out by the muffled ringing in his ears, vibrating uncomfortably as the field swims in and out of focus. Something dark drips onto the grass and he notices his bottom lip is split. <em>Oh, God, that’s definitely not pleasant. </em></p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck blinks a few times, trying to clear the spots from his eyes, and in front of him he sees a familiar set of burgundy robes and black sneakers. Anger bubbles in his stomach and he wills himself not to groan as it takes everything to remain upright. Ever the Slytherin, a smug smirk already knits itself over his bleeding lips.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Wobbling upright, Donghyuck wipes haphazardly at the blood dripping from his mouth as he bellows a lewd curse and launches himself at the Gryffindor Seeker. The dull pain in his skull does little to assuage his rage, and Liu Yangyang screeches as the Slytherin tackles him to the ground, throwing as much strength as he can into his punches.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“You fucker! You cheated!” Yangyang bellows, shoving Donghyuck off and pinning him to the ground under his knee. He winds his right fist back, still screaming foul epithets as Donghyuck claws wildly at his opponent, and brings it down in a ruthless right hook. His knuckles smash into Donghyuck's cheek. One of the Gryffindor Chasers tries, in vain, to intervene but is roughly shoved away by a stray fist from the wrestling Seekers.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“I did not!” Donghyuck spits back, yanking at Yangyang’s dark locks. He only tightens his grip further as the Gryffindor Seeker struggles and eventually rips the other boy’s fingers from his hair, a few clumps of dark curly strands clenched tightly in Donghyuck’s fist.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The two sixth years stay locked in battle, calling each other obscene names and throwing ruthless insults until two more boys run towards them.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“Oh? There seems to be a bit of a tussle happening on the field by the Slytherin goalposts. Chasers Huang and Na are on their way over, but can they stop the fiery shitstorm of the legendary Liu-Lee rivalry?”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Zhong!”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“My bad, Professor.”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Just as the Seeker is about to throw another hard jab, one of the Gryffindor Chasers seizes Yangyang’s wrist tightly and pulls the boy away with as much strength as he can muster. But in his angry haze, Yangyang struggles against his captor and throws an elbow at his teammate, connecting with his face with a sickening <em>crunch.</em> Crimson blood seeps from the boy’s (now broken) nose, the red shining harshly against the deep olive of his skin.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Yangyang! <em>Fuck!</em>” Na Jaemin curses, gingerly cupping his nose, while he swings his other arm around his teammate’s stomach, keeping the kicking boy at bay. The Chaser manages to half-yank his teammate away from the screaming Slytherin, but he pants as the Seeker struggles against his strong grip.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The Slytherin Chaser, Huang Renjun, attempts to pull Donghyuck away, but with little more success- his smaller stature is almost useless against the taller, heavier boy. He yells as the Seeker breaks free, roughly thrusts his friend aside, and stomps over to the two Gryffindor players. Jaemin’s heart sinks as he pinches the bridge of his nose, Yangyang still spitting curses at the other boy. <em>Where the fuck is his wand?!</em></p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Just as Renjun runs over frantically, Donghyuck leans back, raising a clenched fist, and swings- but he misses, and instead, his fist connects with Jaemin’s cheek. The Chaser cries out in surprise, releasing his grip on Yangyang. He curses loudly as he spits on the ground, a few crimson drops splattering against the short grass. <em>Fuck!</em> Now not only is his nose broken, but the entire right side of his face is also throbbing erratically. He lifts a hand and flashes a single finger at the Slytherins before stumbling over to reign in his rogue teammate.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">At that moment, however, Madame Hooch flies over, whistling loudly and threatening suspensions.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“What on <em>earth</em> is going on?” Professor McGonagall bellows, holding her pointed hat to her head as she storms onto the field in a rage. “Mr. Liu! Release Mr. Lee <em>right now!</em>” she screeches at the Gryffindor Seeker, who had broken free from Jaemin’s hold a second time and was now holding Donghyuck by the collar, spitting venomous words in his face. “<em>I have never-!</em>” McGonagall sputters, as she rips the two boys apart.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“This is unacceptable! Sixty points from Gryffindor and you are disqualified for poor sportsmanship!” the Gryffindor professor spits, ignoring her students’ enraged protests.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Dude! What the f-“</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">McGonagall screeches, “<em>Silencio</em>!” and an angry fifth-year Chaser is suddenly rendered mute, her eyes wide in shock and shame. As the Slytherin team cheers, she turns on the opposing team. Anger radiates from her aged but strong frame. “Don’t think you’ve escaped so easily! Sixty-five points from Slytherin for your poor display of competition. You are also disqualified!”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck yells in protest, throwing his arms out as he approaches the opponent’s Head of House but he's pulled back by a mutinous Renjun.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“You four have detention tomorrow! Do <em>not</em> make me repeat myself,” she says, and with one final look of disgust, Professor McGonagall turns on her heels and stalks off the field in a blind fury.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Madame Hooch gathers the fuming students in a clump and says, “You should be expelled for this behavior. Get changed. And get off this field!”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck, ever the sore loser, sticks his tongue out at the Gryffindor Seeker, merely earning him a middle finger and a rather crude name.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“With the end to an exciting Quidditch Cup, Gryffindor and Slytherin are both disqualified for poor sportsmanship! Ravenclaw wins!”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">.*･｡ﾟ</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0"><br class="zw-br"/>R.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>An early morning sunrise.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>First-year Huang Renjun stands on the bustling platform like he had for so many years before, bursting with excitement. Stars seem to pour from his eyes as he waits impatiently for his mother to join him and his sister. Huang Yujin clutches his tiny hand, looking as if she can't decide to be excited for her brother’s first day or annoyed that she was assigned to brother-watching-duty. Already she wears her green and silver colors proudly, a shiny Prefect badge pinned smartly to the lapel.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>Soon (but not soon enough) their mother arrives next to them. She also wears emerald green and black, seeming to part the crowds as she floats over to her children. A large, silver ring adorns her middle finger; the snake wound tightly around the band seems to glint in the dull sunlight, its mouth open in an angry hiss.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“Yujin,” she begins, placing a chaste hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “You will make us proud. You already do.”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>His sister gives a curt nod, a small smile playing on her lips, before kissing the top of her brother’s head and disappearing into the throng of people. Instead of following, the young boy stares at his mother, looking for something in her expression... he’s not sure what he’s looking for yet, but he only sees love and pride in her eyes. There's something else is there that he can’t place... it doesn’t make him feel good. But if there is any unease in her eyes, she doesn’t let it show.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>Renjun had always been in awe of how his mother carried herself. She was always primly made up- no hair out of place, no piece of jewelry askew. Always composed and proper, always knew what to say. Maybe someday he’d be like that.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“You should get on the train, Jun…” his mother says, brushing a few fingers gently through his hair. “You don’t want to be late.”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“Mother, what House will I be in?” he asks, his small voice barely carrying over the din of the station. His entire family had been Slytherins for generations- they have a direct bloodline to Salazar Slytherin himself. Renjun knows what House he’ll be in, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. He likes listening to his mother's voice.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>As his mother ponders her son’s question, a few wizards appear behind her and hiss sharply in her ear, the sound grating over the pleasant sounds of new students and happy parents. She visibly tenses, her sharp eyes fluttering closed as she composes herself. What just happened? Those people are sending glares so deadly in her direction that Renjun grabs his mother’s hand, a little bit out of comfort for her, a little out of comfort for him.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“I don't know,” she responds after a moment, before pushing his cart towards one of the open cars. The snake on her ring glitters coldly in the dim light. (Renjun smiles to himself. She knows what House he'll be in, too.) “Just remember to hold yourself proudly, Jun. A snake can shed its skin, but it still remains a snake.” Renjun simply nods, his tiny mouth slightly agape. “Don’t let anyone under your skin- keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” Somehow her discomfort is already gone, the expression erased from her smooth, pale face. Or perhaps she just isn't showing it.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>They arrive at the door to the train car where a burly Hufflepuff boy is waiting to help students with their trunks. He eyes Renjun and his mother warily but helps the younger boy with his trunk anyway. Once everything had been packed away, his mother kneels in front of him, taking her son’s small hand in hers. That same unreadable emotion from earlier is in her eyes again.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“Who were those men, Mother?” he asks, peering around the station for the angry wizards from before.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>“Angry people. People that don’t like people like you and me,” she says, gathering her son in a tight hug. As they part, she grabs his hand again. “Be proud, Renjun. Words can only hurt you if you let them. Be strong.” she says, almost pleading as she holds Renjun’s small hand in her own. Why does this feel like he’s saying goodbye? Are those tears in her eyes? But Renjun simply nods and she kisses the top of his head. Her fingers seem to linger just a bit longer in his hair. “I love you, my flower.”</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>As he gets on the train, Renjun sneaks one last look at his mother. She looks lonely as she stands on the platform, surrounded by hundreds of people he doesn’t recognize. To reassure her, he smiles- a huge, heartbreaking grin that takes up half his face. And it works- she laughs, and Renjun lets himself smile for real. As the train begins to pull out of the station, he waves until his mother disappears around the bend of the tracks.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  <em>When he goes to look for a compartment, and later falls asleep on the comfy velvet cushions of the train, he only belatedly realizes that the emotion in her eyes was fear.</em>
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0"> </p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">.*･｡ﾟ</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0"> </p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">On Saturdays, most students at Hogwarts spent their few free hours on the vast, open grounds, basking in the sun or exploring the edges of the Forbidden Forest. Na Jaemin’s exclusive posse was notorious for practicing dueling spells in secret- away from prying eyes and tattletales. (It was rumored that they were on a first-name basis with Professor Kim, the school nurse, after having so many mysterious burns and bruises treated over the years.) The self-proclaimed Slytherin "it boy," Lee Donghyuck, crammed his free time with Quidditch practice, mastering complicated maneuvers, ducks, dives, and rolls to perfect his technique. He also spent a remarkable amount of it complaining, to anyone who would listen, about how much he hated Mark Lee's guts. (Everyone knew it was just a facade.)</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">But Huang Renjun, who may have been Lee Donghyuck's official best friend but was definitely not an "it boy," spent most of his time in the expansive greenhouses, testing and collecting samples, watching the growth of touchy plants and cataloging new species.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">To say he was an outcast would be a gross understatement. Sure, he had friends, but as far as popularity went, he was definitely on the bottom of the social scale. Despite his best efforts to remain unseen and unheard, Huang Renjun repelled people simply by... existing.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">He knew it was because of his lineage. The Huang bloodline extended through history for centuries, making his family a part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. His father (who Renjun simply refused to acknowledge by name anymore) was an infamous Death Eater— part of the inner circle of the Dark Lord himself. But after his defeat, the head of the Huang family was convicted, and for all Renjun knew, he was rotting, or maybe even dead, in Azkaban.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Unfortunately for him and his mother, they weren't exactly on good terms with the rest of the wizarding community. Renjun's childhood was filled with constant moving, learning protective spells at a young age, and keeping his head down. He knew what to say and what not to say to avoid attention. Suspicion and hostility from others were almost expected at this point.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">It didn't exactly get better once he arrived at Hogwarts. The past five and half years had been filled with secretive whispers, venomous glances, and even the occasional Howler filled with insults and obscenities sent to him at breakfast. No... Huang Renjun was most certainly not an "it boy."</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">So Renjun kept to the greenhouses for company. Something about rolling up his sleeves, getting his hands dirty, sweating in the humidity, and focusing his energy into manual labor not only cleared his head, but it distracted Renjun from the misery that occurred outside the safety of the mottled glass walls of the greenhouses. Professor Qian didn’t mind- in fact, he welcomed a student aid, and they spent the time chatting and telling lurid stories about their Herbology mishaps.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">But no matter how often Renjun logged, tracked, or planted new species with Professor Qian, nothing could take away the thrill of Quidditch from him. He may have not been extremely popular among the students of Hogwarts, but he was a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch Team, and a <em>damn good one,</em> at that. He loved going to practice after a long day of studying, when he could rocket by his teammates on the pitch, letting the wind ruffle through his hair, his emerald robes billowing around him. The adrenaline of a successful play, using his long legs to his advantage to send the Quaffle flying through the center hoop. The Quidditch pitch was a second (well, third) home to him. It was one of the few places where his peers didn't look at him like he was an alien. His teammates were all he needed, and no one, no matter how vile or twisted, could take it away from him.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">So leave it to Donghyuck to almost get them kicked off the team (No, <em>expelled</em>!) for his inability to keep his big, fat mouth shut!</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Honestly, the whole thing had happened so quickly- one moment Renjun was watching Liu Yangyang race around the stadium, maroon and gold robes flapping in the wind, hand desperately outstretched in front of him. The next, the Gryffindor Seeker is tumbling towards the ground, just barely caught by a desperate "<em>Arresto momentum!</em>" from Madame Hooch, and his best friend is caught in a bloody fistfight. Renjun's ribs still ache from the elbow he caught to the side.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The stupid culprit even had the audacity to complain loudly in the locker room while changing out of his robes.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“He totally asked for it! I was doing what I needed to!” Donghyuck protests, his bright auburn hair caked in mud and grass from the earlier altercation. His cracked lip bleeds and his left eye looks as if it had seen better days. Actually, it probably had- days when it could see, well, <em>anything at all.</em> When Sunwoo holds up a hand for a high-five, Hyuck misses. Horribly.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Hyuck, it <em>was</em> a little uncalled-for,” seventh-year Chaser Kim Yeri says. "But I thought it was a good move." There's a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "It's amazing you managed to escape with little more than a detention, especially from McGonagall."</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Son Hyejoo, the fifth-year Beater, stands a little ways behind her, glaring at Donghyuck so severely her eyes could cut through steel. She rolls her eyes when Donghyuck protests loudly, interrupting with, “You didn’t have to fucking <em>elbow</em> him in the stomach. He was <em>fifty</em> feet in the air! Do you even care about being expelled? What would’ve happened to him if Hooch hadn’t slowed his fall?” Her lips purse as she regards him with poorly concealed disgust.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck scoffs, muttering under his breath, “I don’t know... died maybe?”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The Beater gasps in disgust and yells at Donghyuck for another few minutes (using some rather creative insults to call him reckless in about seven different ways) before she socks the older boy hard in the arm and leaves, Yeri trailing a few feet behind her.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The Seeker stares at Renjun in disbelief, cradling his sore bicep, looking rather worse for wear. He looks as if his pride had been stomped on and left to die. “She can’t do that, can she?”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Renjun smiles wryly while he summons a cloth from the locker room closet with a flick of his wand and dunks it in water from the sink. It's cool on his skin as he wrings out the rag by hand. “Actually she can. She usually doesn’t. <em>You’re</em> just an idiot.”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck feigns hurt, an exaggerated frown painted on his brow, but it's more of a painful grimace as his swollen eye prevents any sort of emoting. “Whose side are you even on, Mr. Plant Boy? Go back to the greenhouses where you belong.” He winces as Renjun gently presses the cloth to the deep cut in his forehead.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Gladly!” Renjun scoffs, “But I can’t leave you alone- I’m worried you might <em>actually</em> kill Liu Yangyang.” He swats at Donghyuck's hands attempting to grab him blindly.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Try to stop me,” Donghyuck grumbles and points his wand at his head, mumbling “<em>Scourgify!</em>” in a messy attempt to remove the clumps of mud and grass from his hair. It's relatively unsuccessful and Renjun has to help him with the rest of his head. He grabs Donghyuck's hand and places it on the cloth, encouraging him to keep pressing the cut. "Why can't you just magic away my pain?" his friend whines, wiggling impatiently in his seat.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Renjun places a firm hand on Donghyuck's shoulder to keep him still. "Well, first of all, I can only do so much," Renjun chides, "and I'm almost hoping the pain will finally teach you a lesson." Donghyuck swings his fist behind him to smack Renjun in the stomach but misses and ends up knocking his knuckles against the bench. He wails and folds over in pain and Renjun just laughs sympathetically. There's a lull in conversation as continues to flick his wand across Donghyuck's head.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Why do you hate him so much anyway? What did he even do to you?” Renjun asks, blowing the larger chunks of dirt away with little jets of air.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“I don’t know… why do you hate Na Jaemin?” Donghyuck deflects the question, giving Renjun a rather pointed look in the mirror, a shit-eating grin playing on his lips.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Renjun shakes his head, the bitter flavor of distaste sitting uncomfortably on his tongue. Somewhere in the back of his mind, cruel laughter echoes, the sound an unwelcome memory. Exploding packages, sitting alone at lunch, and books snapping on his nose in the library.   “Because he’s a self-centered, insufferable asshole. The real question here is why am I the only one here that hates him? I should get a medal for being the only one with <em>common sense</em>. I mean, I have never seen him study, he cheats openly on exams, and yet he’s able to charm his way through every little mishap because all the professors are so far up his-” Renjun stops when he hears a muffled snort come from the boy next to him.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck looks as if he was trying not to laugh- his hand is over his mouth and his eyes are shining with glee. Well… the one he can see out of, that is. “I’m sorry, did I detect jealousy somewhere in there?”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Renjun shoves Donghyuck’s shoulder. “I am <em>not</em> jealous of Na Jaemin!” He points his wand at Donghyuck’s throat. “Do you want me to heal you or not?” The Seeker feigns fear, and tosses his hands in the air in surrender, but not without a few more joking jabs at Renjun.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">It's a slow process. Renjun is only just learning how to fully heal other wizards, and he certainly could use the practice. Unfortunately for Donghyuck, that means he has to sit there for a while, waiting for Renjun to finish carefully siphoning the dried blood from his face and then magically stitch up the deep cut above his eyebrow. (He hasn't yet mastered <em>Vulnera Sanentur</em>.) As his Slytherin friend had complained before, Renjun could easily send him to Professor Kim in the infirmary, but this is good practice and, honestly, Donghyuck is being annoying enough today that he deserves to wait an extra ten minutes.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">And besides, for as long as he could remember, Renjun loved helping people. Whether it was with errands, chores, and healing, he never wanted anyone around him to be unhappy- especially if he could help it, so it made sense that he had gravitated towards Healing later in his education. Renjun loved working with his hands; loved applying knowledge to treat burns, boils, bruises; talking patients through complicated procedures; and he especially loved seeing smiles appear as he Healed, it made his heart bloom with happiness to see others happy, too.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Renjun-ah…,” the Slytherin Seeker whines after a moment, leaning away from the other boy. “Hurry up!”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Stop squirming! This wouldn’t take so long if you hadn’t been so set on making Yangyang eat shit today,” Renjun mutters as he grabs the other boy’s shoulder again to stop him from wiggling about. The dirt is all gone, but there are some stubborn patches of dried blood in Donghyuck's hair that just won't go away. “Why can’t you just let him be an asshole and go on with your day? You don't exactly gain anything from beating him into a pulp.”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Hey, I’d like to see you try and be friends with your enemy! Until then keep your bloody mouth shut.”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Renjun laughs dryly, tugging at the stiff bloodstained collar of Donghyuck’s robes to more easily reach the soiled fabric. “Please, I could be friends with Na Jaemin eons before you’d ever be friends with Yangyang.”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Oh? Is that a bet?” Donghyuck smirks, folding his arms over his chest. He has that annoying self-satisfying grin on his face again and Renjun immediately wants to shove his wand up his friend’s nose. Whatever comes out of his friend's mouth next will not bode well for him. He sits heavily on the bench, huffing as he does so. Healing might be a passion of his, but, <em>Jesus</em>, it's fucking exhausting.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“I don’t know, is it?” Renjun asks, pulling his robes over his head. He assesses the bruising that peppers his ribcage and stomach. It doesn't seem to be too bad... he'll probably just go to Professor Kim for some of his nasty-smelling "Cure-All Ointment."</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck stands to finish changing, gingerly pulling on his uniform over his fresh bruises. Despite the Healing, it'll be a while before the soreness goes away. For a moment he pauses, then sticks out his hand to Renjun.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Fine. I’ll bet you can’t be friends with Na Jaemin for a month, otherwise, you have to do my homework for me for the entire second semester.” The Chaser lets out a disbelieving laugh. Donghyuck waggles his eyebrows, and Renjun has never been <em>more irritated in his life.</em></p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Here he is, Healing and bandaging up his stupid friend after <em>every</em> Quidditch game, only to be rewarded with a <em>bet</em> and a promise of <em>four months</em> double the homework! After all the shit he has to go through, it amazes him that he's still friends with this cocky bastard! But despite his staunch belief in rule-following, Renjun is never one to back down from a challenge.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Against his better judgment, the Slytherin grabs his friend’s hand, firmly shaking on their bet. “You’re on. If I win, you have to try to be friends with Yangyang," he smiles wickedly as an idea pops into his head, “<em>and</em> you have to ask Mark Lee out on a date.”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck blanches, his cheeks turning a violent red as he sputters profusely. “Only if you win! Otherwise, you- you!” Renjun cackles as Donghyuck finishes dressing in a huff, for the first time in a while, at a complete loss for words.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Have fun failing your NEWTs next semester!” Renjun calls in a sing-song voice, receiving a lewd hand gesture in response as the Seeker stomps out the door. As Donghyuck's robes recede from view, the other boy sits back down on the bench, the realization of his actions hitting him square in the chest.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Well, shit,” he whispers. </p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">
  
</p><p class="zw-paragraph">.*･｡ﾟ</p><p class="zw-paragraph">
  
</p><p class="zw-paragraph">
  
</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">After a quick shower, some first aid from Renjun, and a brutal berating from Hyejoo (<em>who isn't even Captain, mind you!</em>), Donghyuck stalks out of the Slytherin changing room, fuming. Like, if looks could kill, he’d have committed mass murder by now. His eye throbs, the bandages around his knuckles itch like hell, and his whole body is aching. Is it his fault? Probably, but, <em>bloody hell, </em>he'd never admit it out loud.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">He’s hardly in the mood to talk, content with simply hiding in his dormitory for the rest of his measly life, when something rams into his side and he’s sent crashing unceremoniously to the ground. His bookbag flies out of his hand and he falls hard onto his back, the wind forcibly knocked out of his lungs.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“What the hell, Lee?” Yangyang hollers, shoving Donghyuck to the dirt. His face is contorted with rage and he points his wand at Donghyuck’s throat. The Seeker’s dark eyes bore holes into his skull as if to mark him for death, and he keeps the Slytherin in a vice grip against the cold ground, his foot pressed hard against his chest. He looks like hell, too. Bruises are scattered across his nose and jaw and dried blood still smears under his nose. Apparently, he didn't feel the need to go to Professor Kim in the Hospital Wing either.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“<em>Get off</em>,” Donghyuck grunts, attempting to push the other boy away from him, but the other sixth-year hardly falters.  </p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Don’t you dare, Lee, you piece of shit,” Yangyang spits through gritted teeth. “We were this close to the Cup. This close! We should have won!” His bruised knuckles are white as the pointed end of his hawthorn wand shakes in his hand with fury.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Dude!” Donghyuck protests, shoving at the other boy’s foot. “Get off!”</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“You’ll pay.” Yangyang raises his wand so the tip pointed directly between the Slytherin’s eyes, and as much as he hated the Gryffindor, Donghyuck feels a jolt of fear shoot down his spine. Yangyang was known for his proficiency at Charms. He <em>never</em> missed.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Yangyang-“ Donghyuck begins, anger beginning to flare at the edges of his voice. He moves to grab his wand when suddenly-</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">The Gryffindor bellows, “<em>Everte statum</em>!” as he brandishes his wand like a sword in front of him. Instinctively, Donghyuck throws his arms up, bracing himself for the brutal force of the hex.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">At the same time, another voice yells “<em>Protego!</em>” and the brunt of the spell is deflected into the sky. It echoes in the eerie blue light of his savior's protective spell and Donghyuck uncurls in disbelief.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Yangyang- I told you to <em>stop</em>!” the forceful voice of seventh-year Mark Lee says. As Donghyuck cracks his eyes open, he sees Yangyang laying on the ground, a few feet from him. Instead of a sharp blow to the chest like he'd expected, all five-foot-nine-inches of Golden Boy Mark Lee stands over Donghyuck in a sort of defensive position, challenging Yangyang’s indignant form- who's fuming even while on his behind in the dirt. He glowers at the Keeper, muttering a few choice words under his breath until Mark murmurs a pointed “<em>Silencio!</em>” and the furious sixth-year is rendered mute.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck crawls awkwardly away from the Gryffindor, his nails scrabbling hastily at the dirt. Jumping angrily from his spot on the ground, he points his wand towards the other boy. A nice Bat-Bogey hex is already half-formed on Donghyuck's tongue when he feels a strong arm against his chest. Even with his slight advantage in stature, Donghyuck's unable to struggle past the stronger and stockier seventh-year boy. His heart flutters in response to Mark's touch, and mentally, Donghyuck curses himself. He can already hear Renjun taunting him.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Man, lay off!” he whines, shoving away from Mark.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“You’re welcome, I guess,” the older boy snorts dryly, still glaring daggers into his younger teammate.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“<em>No</em>, thank you. I don’t need your help,” Donghyuck whines, crossing his arms like a petulant child. Even if Mark Lee is cooler and older and probably tired of dealing with hormonal, feisty sixth-years, Donghyuck is not going to let him win that easily. Especially not when his entire existence is dedicated to hating Gryffindors, and the only Gryffindor who can slip through the cracks of Donghyuck's stone-cold exterior happens to be a few inches away from him, the skin on the back of his neck still shiny with sweat from the match. <em>Dear lord, Donghyuck, pull yourself together!</em></p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">From his peripheral vision, the Slytherin sees the older boy roll his eyes as he flicks his wand at Yangyang (the younger Gryffindor makes sure his first few words are a slew of obscene insults at Mark and Donghyuck) and approaches his teammate, easily tugging him from the ground.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">Donghyuck doesn't get a chance to hear what he says next, he's too busy running towards the school before the star Keeper (and Head Boy) can apprehend him.</p><p class="zw-paragraph heading0">“Donghyuck!” he hears the Gryffindor yell.</p><p>He keeps running– whether it's out of fear or spite Donghyuck isn't sure, but he just wants to be far away from him as possible.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>come talk to me !! :)</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://www.twitter.com/JEN0CORE">twitter</a><br/><a href="https://www.curiouscat.me/solarjeno">curious cat</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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